Diversity, Vol. 15, Pages 493: Combination of Morphometric and Morphological Analyses: An Effective Approach for the Study of Platynus from the Italian W Alps (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Platynini)

Diversity, Vol. 15, Pages 493: Combination of Morphometric and Morphological Analyses: An Effective Approach for the Study of Platynus from the Italian W Alps (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Platynini)

Diversity doi: 10.3390/d15040493

Authors: Angela Roggero Pier Mauro Giachino Achille Casale Gianni Allegro Alessandro Fiorito Claudia Palestrini

In the W Italian Alps, an area characterized by considerable environmental complexity, the widespread Platynus were studied by focusing on their species composition. The ecological niche realized by the genus in this area encompasses a preference for humid and cold environments, sometimes associated with altitude. Several specimens from private and public collections were investigated by geometric morphometrics, a powerful technique capable of detecting even minor morphological variation. The quantitative analysis was paired to a qualitative survey of anatomical traits. To classify and discriminate species, external traits (head, pronotum, right elytron) and internal structures (male and female genitalia, mouthparts) were evaluated by direct examination and dissection. The results supported the presence of the five species already known from the study area and also helped to identify four new cryptic taxa to which the specific rank was assigned. They are herein described as Platynus maritimus n. sp., Platynus occitanus n. sp., Platynus simonisi n. sp., and Platynus vignai n. sp.